Roller skate



Feb., 18, 1941. s. M. ALLRED ROLLER SKATE Filed sept. 25, 1939 /NVE/v TU/Fi f 5mn/a M /m @517.

/7/5 A T m/P/VEX Patented Feb. i8, 1941' Samuel M. ,t if:

.s Dayton, @hic Application September 25, i939, Serial No. 296,364

' s (si. zee-n.28)

This invention relates to a roller skate and more particularly to that type ci roller skate in which the main or foot supporting frame is tiltable with relation -to the trucks to enable the 5 same to accommodate itself to the position of the skater in making turns and the like, the tilting movement oi' the frame being controlled by a yieldable or cushioning member. Skates of this kind as heretofore constructed have not been entirely satisfactory due inv part at least to the fact that the main frame was ci such a character that it did not possess the strength and rigidity necessary to resist the strains to which it is subjected in the normal use of the skate, and, further, due to the fact that the means for pivotally connecting the main frame with the trucks were liable to distortion or breakage, and, iurther, that their connection with the main frame were such that they tended to distort the latter 2 under severe strains.

One object o! the present invention is to provide a skate of this kind with a very simple main frame structure which will have ample strength and rigidity to resist all strains to which it may be subjected in the normal operation o! the skate.

A further object of the invention is to provide la strong rigid truck frame having simple but eflicientv means for connecting the same with the main frame and which will be so connected with the main frame that it will not distort or otherwise injure the latter.

A further object oi the invention is to provide askate of this kind which will be simple in. its construction and can be producedat -a relatively low cost.

Other objects of the invention may appear as the skate is described in detail.

' In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly brokenaway, of a skate embodying my invention; Fig; 2 is a side elevation of such a skate, partly in section and partly broken away; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionl taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing 'one of the trucks in elevation.- A 1 In the drawing I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my inventionand have shown the main frame as comprising a longitudinal bar 5 extending lengthwise of the skate and, in the present instance, constitutingthe complete main frame structure. This main frame is provided at its ends withl downwardly and inwardly extending parts 8 rigid therewith and constituting pivot members forming parts of the means for connecting the mainframe with the trucks. As

here shown, these downwardly extending parts 5 are integral parts of the bar 5 and are formed by bending the end portions of that bar downwardly and inwardly as shown. c

. Rigidly connected with the main frame at points 5 adjacent to but spaced inwardly from .the downwardly extending parts 6 are supporting members or hangers 'I having downwardly extending parts 8 forming part oi the means for connecting the main frame with the truck, and here i0 shown as provided with screw threaded sockets 9. These supporting members` may be secured to the main frame or bar 5 in any suitable manner. Preferably they are provided with grooves or channels i0 to receive the bar and in which the l5 bar may be rigidly secured in any suitable manner, as by welding. The grooves I0 are of such depth that-the upper surface'of the frame bar 5 will be substantially flush with the upper surfaces of the supporting members. The support- 20 ing members 1 also constitute the means for supporting the heel and toe plates oi the socket and they are provided with laterally extending parts Il which may, if desired, be of such size and shape as to constitute respectively the toe 25 and heel plates but, in the construction shown. theyl are in the form of apertured lugs adapted to receive and support heel and toe plates formed separately therefrom and secured thereto f in any suitable manner, as by means or rivets 30 I2. In the present instance. the heel plate Ila and the toe plate IIb are shown as forming parts of a one-piece foot plate but obviously they may, ii desired, be formed as separate elements, and when so formed the frame bar 5 will constitute the sole connection between the front and rear parts oi the skate.- The frame bari may be of any suitable cross sectional shape which will impart thereto the necessary strength and rigidity. In the mediate or horizontal portion oi' the bar is rectangular in cross section and the downturned end parts 8 are round in cross section, the grooves lli of the'supporting members being of rectangular shape to fit the bar. 45 The trucks which support the iront and rear portions of the main trame are separate one from the other and are separately secured to the main Iram'e.- The two trucks are substantially Aidentical in construction and each com- 50 prises a roller supporting frame, indicated as a whole at I3, and having an axle portion Il which is here shown as a transverse tubular structure in which is rigidly mounted a spindle I5 which projects beyond` the endsof the tubular struc- 55 present instance, the inter- 40 ture to receive the rollers |5a, which may be mounted thereon in the usual` or any suitable manner. Extending upwardly from the axle portion of the truck frame is an arm I6 which is rigidly connected with the axial portion and is preferably an integral part oi" the truck frame. This arm I6 is provided 'at its upper end with a pivot member adapted to cooperate with the adjacent pivot member or downwardly extending part 6 of the main frame. Preferably the pivot member of the arm i6 is in the form of a socket which may, if desired, be formed directly in the arm but I prefer to provide the arm with a recess Il in which a wear resisting member I8 is rigidly mounted, as by inserting the same with a pressed fit. The socket is formed in the outer portion of the inserted member I8, as shown at I9, and is adapted to receive the end portion of the downwardly extending part 6 of the main frame. Preferably the socket is provided with a substantially semi-spherical lower or base portion 20 and the downwardly extending part 6 of the main frame is likewise provided with a substantially semi-spherical end adapted to t in the base portion of the socket and cooperate therewith to form what is in e'ect a ball and socket joint, the circumferential wall of the outer portion oi' the socket being ared to permit the part 6 of the main frame to have rocking movement in the socket. t, r

The' truck frame is also provided with a second arm 2|, rigidly connected, and preferably formed integral, therewith and extending inwardly from the axle portion I4, that is, extending toward the other truck. The arm 2| thus diverges from the arm |6 and is adapted to form a part of the connection between the truck frame and the adjacent supporting member 1. The arm 2| is provided with an opening 22 the upper portion of which is substantially annular to receive the lower end of a cushioning element, such as a block oi' rubber 23 having the desired degree ofv resiliency, and the lower portion of the opening is tapered downwardly to form a, support for said cushioning member. A retaining member or cap 24 -is applied to Y the upper end of the cushioning element and an elongate attaching member, such as a screw 25,-

extends through the opening in the arm 2|, through the cushioning member and cap 2l and is attached to the supporting member 1, in the present instance by screwing the same into the screw threaded socket 9 of the supporting meniber. .The attaching element or screw 25 is pron vided at its lower end with means for contacting the lower surface of the arm 2| about the opening 22, this means being of ysuch a character as to limit the longitudinal Vmovement of the screw with relation to the arm 2| but to permit the same to have pivotal movement with relation to that arm. In the present construction.

a washer 2B is interposed between the head of the screw and the arm 2| and is adapted to fulbe mounted on the threaded portion of the screw adjacent the part 8 of the supporting member to secure the screw in adjusted positions. It will be apparent that both arms of the truck frame are pivotally connected, with separated parts of the frame insuch a manner that the main frame may tilt in various directions with relation to the truck frame, this tilting movement being resisted and controlled by the cushioning element 23. It -will be noted that the pivotal connections between the arms I6 and 2| and the main frame are so arranged with relamovement of the frame simultaneously about both pivotal connections. The stresses which are imposed upon vthe skate are transmitted directly from the arms of the truck frame to parts of the main frame which are of such a character and so arranged as to provide ample strength and rigidity and thus prevent any distortion or other injury of the main frame, the truck frame itself being of such a strong rigid character that it is not liable to injury in the normal operationof the skate.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited tothe details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a roller skate, front and rear trucks each including a frame having a roller supporting portion, an arm extending inwardly from said roller supporting portion and an arm extending upwardlyand outwardly from said roller supporting portion,l a frame bar of strong rigid construction throughout its length, extending lengthwise of said skate and having at its ends downwardly extending parts rigid therewith and pivotally connected with the upwardly and outwardly ex. tending arms of the respective truck frames on axes spaced a substantial distance below the 1ongitudinal portion oi said bar, supporting members rigidly secured to said bar and spaced inwardly from said downwardly extending parts of said bar, each supporting member having in its porting means rigidly connected with said bar.

2. In a roller skate, front and rear trucks each including a frame having a roller supporting portion, an arm extending inwardly from said roller supporting portion and an arm extending upwardly and outwardly from said roller supporting portion, a frame bar of strong rigid construction throughout its. length extending lengthwise of said skate and having at its ends downwardly extending parts rigid therewith and pivotally connected with the upwardly and'outwardly extending arms of the respective truck frames on axes spaced a substantial distance below the longitudinal portion of said bar, supporting members rigidly secured to said bar and spaced inwardly from said downwardly extending parts` of said bar, each supporting' member having in its upper surface a longitudinal groove in which said bar is rigidly secured with its upper surface substantially flush with t'ne upper surfaces of said supporting members, said supporting members having means for securing a. foot supporting member thereto, and means including a vtion one to the other as to permit of the free' cushioning element for pivotally and yieldably u connecting said inwardly extending arms with said supporting members.

3. In a roller skate, a main frame comprisingV a single 'oar extending for substantially the full length of the skate and of a. strong rigid construction throughout its length, said bar having its end portions turned downwardly and extending a substantial distance below the longitudinal part of said bar, each downwardly extending part of said bar having a substantially round lower end forming a bearing member, front and rear trucks each comprising rollers and a truclr frame supported by said rollers for movement about an axis transverse to said bar, each truck frame having an inwardly extending armand an upwardly and outwardly extending 'arm provided at its upper end an upwardly facing socket having a hardened concave bearing surface to receive the lower end or the adjacent downturned part of said bar, thus establishing universal plvotal connections between 'said bar and the respective truck frames at points spaced from said bar, means interposed between said bar and the inwardly extending arms of the respective truck frames to yieldably resist the relative movement of said bar and said truck frames about said pivotal connections, and foot supporting means rigidly secured to said main frame. Y

a. In a roller skate, a relatively narrow main frame member extending centrally of the skate for substantially-the full length thereof-and of strong rigid construction throughout its length, said frame member having at each end thereof a part rigid therewith and extending downwardly therefrom a substantial distance, front and rear trucks each comprising rollers and a truck frame supported by said roilers for movement about an axis transverse to said main frame member, each truck frame having an inwardly extending arm and an upwardly and outwardly extending arm, the upwardly and outwardly extending arm or each truck frame and the adjacent downwarl'llv"` rigidly secured to said main frame member.

5. In a roller skate, a main frame of strong rigid construction throughout its length and having at each end a' part rigid therewith extending downwardly a substantial distance below the longitudinal portion or said main frame, each of said parts being provided at its lower end with a hardened substantially semi-spherical bearing surface, front and rear trucks each comprising rollers and a truck frame supported by said. rollers for movement about an axis transverse to said main frame, each truck frame-having an inwardly extending arm and an upwardly and outwardly extending arm, each upwardly and outwardly extending arm having near its upper endan upwardly facing socket provided with a hardenedsubstantially semi-spherical bearing surface cooperating with the bearing surface of the adjacent downwardly extending part of said main frame toconnect said truck frame and said main frame'for relative movement about axes extending respectively transversely to and lengthwise of said main frame and spaced from said main frame,v means interposed between said main frame and the inwardly extending arm of'each truck frame to yieldably resist the relative movemens of said frames about either of said axes, and foot supporting means rigidly secured to said main frame. 

